FR2648314A1 - Apparatus serving for attracting and for killing rodent mammals - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus serving for attracting and for killing rodent mammals, consisting of a body 10, of a mechanism 20 and of an enclosure 30. This apparatus is noteworthy in that the said body 10 carries the said mechanism 20, which is intended to kill the trapped animal, and in that the same body 10 is arranged with the said enclosure 30 in which is placed a bait A such that the said mechanism 20 is interposed between the animal to be trapped on the one hand and the bait A intended to attract said animal on the other hand, preferably the above-mentioned body 10 is pierced with an active orifice 11 giving entry into the abovementioned enclosure 30 such that, having entered the said active orifice 11 in order to reach the abovementioned bait A, the animal to be trapped is exposed to the action of the abovementioned mechanism 20. Applications: traps for rodent mammals.

Description

MACHINE FOR ATTRACTING AND KILLING RODENT MAMMALS
The present invention relates to a device used to attract and take animals, more particularly intended for trapping rodent mammals and animals which resemble them, such as rats, mice, field mice, etc.

 All species of rats are widespread around the world generally because of humans in the vicinity of which they live by diverting part of their food for their profit. Some of these domestic rats constitute a real plague by their proliferation in the houses where they devour food, clothing and papers.

Thus, rats are very harmful by the damage they cause and by the diseases transmissible to humans of which they are carriers.

 Also, the destruction of these rodent mammals is a permanent concern of man, whether punctual, by the implementation of traps, or whatever mass such as health control operations carried out on ships from contaminated countries by the plague. To assist him in his fight against rats, man was able to win the collaboration of cats and dogs that are natural enemies of rodent mammals. But, domesticated for a long time, these predators have become pets reluctant to perpetuate hunting. This is probably why, Man implemented a systematic and blind means of destruction: poison. Many chemicals, sometimes dreaded, are still uncontrolled in nature, reaching far more than rat populations. The current environmental awareness discredits the use of these chemicals and recommends, in cases of domestic application at least, the use of trapping devices.

 There are two main types of traps intended to destroy rodent mammals, both used to attract them by means of a bait, the first to capture them, the second to kill them. But these two kinds of traps have in common that they are obsolete. Indeed, ethologists have established the qualities of individual and collective memory of the different species of rats. They have learned to avoid and even divert most of the devices intended to trap them.

 One of these devices, of the first kind, is called "trap". It consists in attracting the animal to be trapped at the end of a conical conduit opening into a cavity from which it will not be able to leave. Such a device has the disadvantage that the animal that has been caught remains alive, so that its fellows are informed of the danger by its cries. In addition, the prolonged trapping of the Animal constitutes a cruel situation for him.

 Another of these devices, of the second kind, is called a "mousetrap". It consists in attracting the animal to be trapped on a mobile board so as to trigger a mechanism intended to knock it out. Such a machine has the disadvantage that its operation can be obtained by any other cause, including by the will of the animal to divert the bait prepared for it, at the risk of injuring itself during this operation. Such an injury also constitutes a cruel situation for the trapped animal.

 Having taken into consideration The various aforementioned drawbacks concerning most of the devices intended for trapping rodent mammals, the applicant has carried out research aimed at studying a trapping device of a new type, the novelty of which is is likely to abuse the mistrust of different species of rats and whose functioning is reliable and energetic so that an animal trapped is killed net.

 To do this, the device of the invention used to attract and kill rodent mammals, comprises a body, a mechanism, an enclosure, arranged so that said body 10 is shaped to receive the combination of parts arranged according to said mechanism which is intended to kill the trapped animal. The same body is associated with said enclosure inside which is placed the bait intended to attract the animal to be trapped. Said body and said enclosure are arranged between them so that the above mechanism is interposed between the animal to be trapped on the one hand, and the bait intended to attract it on the other hand.

 In the same body is formed an orifice, an obligatory passage in which the animal to be trapped is led to engage if it wants to reach said bait placed inside said enclosure. In said forced passage is disposed a receiving element constituting said mechanism and intended to trigger the latter. Said receiving element is stimulated under the effect of the animal when the latter is engaged in said forced passage, so that said mechanism intended to kill, is triggered by the trapped animal itself.

 Thus, such a device used to attract and kill rodent mammals has the main advantage of undertaking to kill the trapped animal when the latter is confined in the aforementioned passage of the active orifice which is designed so that the The trapped animal cannot escape from it while the above mechanism is triggered.

 The invention having just been described in its most elementary form, other characteristics and other advantages of the present invention will emerge more clearly on reading the description which follows, giving by way of nonlimiting example and in look at the accompanying drawing, an embodiment of a device used to attract and kill rodent mammals respecting the fundamental concepts of the invention.

 The figure carried by this drawing is a perspective view of three quarters of a top of such a machine.

 As illustrated, the machine of the invention comprises a body 10 which affects the volume of a rectangular parallelepided placed on the wafer in its great long * r so as to ensure the longitudinal stability of said machine of the invention. The device of the invention also includes a mechanism 20 intended to kill the trapped animal and the various organs 20a, 20b, 20c and 20d of which are combined in combination are embedded in reservations provided for this purpose and open on the four corresponding faces iDa, 10b, 10c and 10d of the aforesaid body 10. The device of the invention finally comprises an enclosure 30 composed of several modular elements 30a, 30b and 30c arranged between them and with the aforesaid body 10 so that the latter constitutes The closing element of said enclosure 30. This arrangement ensures the transverse stability of said machine of the invention when the latter is used.

 The same body 10 is pierced right through an active orifice 11 of circular section whose diameter allows the animal to be trapped to sneak into it. Thus, said active orifice 11 gives, from the outside of said device of the invention, entry inside the above-mentioned enclosure 30, through said body 10. In the same enclosure 30 is placed the bait A intended to attract the animal to trap. The latter, having been attracted by said bait A and having collided with said enclosure 30, leads to discovering said orifice 11 pierced in said body 10. The same active orifice 11 is closed in its lower part by a movable tongue 12 which controls The above-mentioned mechanism 20. The animal to be trapped having been attracted by said bait A, having collided with said enclosure 30 and having discovered said active orifice 11, sooner or later sneaks into the latter. In doing so, the same animal is brought to bear in some way on said movable tongue 12 so that the latter is erased to trigger the above mechanism 20 intended to kill the animal.

The same mechanism 20 is constituted by the combination of four distinct organs, namely
- A first member said receiver 20a, accessible from the face 10a of the aforesaid body 10, on which acts, by pressing, the said movable tongue 12 to trigger the whole of said mechanism 20;
- A second so-called transmission member 20b, accessible via the face 10b of said body 10, in connection via its lower part with the previous receiving member 20a;
- A third member called operator 2Oc, accessible from the face 10c of said body 10, in connection with the upper part of said transmission member 20b;
a fourth so-called safety member 20d, accessible via the face 10d of said body 10, and in temporary connection with said receiving member 20a to prevent the undesirable triggering of the assembly of said mechanism 20

 The above-mentioned operating member 20c comprises a stirrup 21, the two branches 21a and 21b of which are movable about an axis x, x 'transverse to the aforementioned body 10. Said stirrup 21 is associated with a coil spring 22 longitudinal to said body 10 and subject with the latter and with said stirrup 21, so that, to arm said mechanism 20, said stirrup 21 is brought, in a rocking movement before R1, to a horizontal position, which has the effect of tensioning said spring when the same mechanism 20 is triggered, said branches 21a and 21b of said stirrup 21 are brought back in a rear rocking movement R2 of large amplitude to a substantially vertical position, under the reaction effect of said coil spring 22. The same branches 21a and 21b of said stirrup 21 are shaped so that, when said mechanism 20 is triggered, they describe on each side of said body 10 the respective angular sectors a1 and a2, which partially cover at least the section of the above-mentioned active orifice 11 open on each side of said body 10. Thus, the animal to be trapped, engaged through said body 10, is knocked out by the energetic action of said branches 21a and 21b at the end and at the end of said active orifice 11 when said mechanism 20 is triggered.

 The advantage which results from this arrangement of said operating member 20c resides in that the animal to be trapped, when it is engaged in said active orifice 11 to trigger itself said mechanism 20 by depressing said movable tongue 12, is knocked out on the head by one 21b of said branches of said stirrup 21 of said operating member 20c, if he had a reflex to escape backwards, or is knocked out on the kidneys, by the other 21a of said branches of the same stirrup 21 s he had a reflex to escape forward. The most likely remaining case that said operating member 20c, due to the appropriate power of said coil spring 22 is endowed with a speed of movement such that the trapped animal is knocked out simultaneously on the head and on the kidneys by both. say branches 21a and 21b which amounts to killing him outright.

 The aforesaid transmission member 20b comprises an articulated hook 23, associated with a link rod 24 also articulated. When said mechanism 20 is armed, said hook 23 is engaged on said operating member 20c so as to oppose the reaction effect of said coil spring 22 to maintain said stirrup 21 in a horizontal position. Said link 24 cooperates with said hook 23 so as to disengage the latter to release said operating member 20c when said mechanism 20 is triggered.

 The advantage which results from this arrangement of said transmission member 20b resides in that said hook 23, when it is engaged, is arranged so as to resist the coil spring 22 whatever the power of the latter and that, nevertheless , the only contribution of useful energy to disengage the same hook 23 is that necessary to cause the said rod 24 to topple.

The aforesaid receiving member 20a comprises an expansion lever 25 movable about an axis y, y transverse to the aforesaid body 10, provided at one of its ends with a trigger 26 intended to receive the lower part of said link 24 of said transmission member 20b when said mechanism 20 is armed, and is provided at the other of its ends with a counterweight 27 which compensates for the thrust exerted by the said link 24 so that said trigger lever 25 is kept in balance in an inert position. The same detent lever 25 is in communication with said active orifice 11 of said body 10 by means of said movable tongue 12 through a slot made in the wall of said active orifice 11. Thus, said movable tongue 12 being pressed into this slot exerts pressure on one of the arms of said detent lever 25. The latter then rejoins, in a rocking movement r of small amplitude, an active position in which said rod 24 escapes from
Said trigger 26 for disengaging said hook 23.

 One of the advantages which results from this arrangement resides in that said receiving member 20a reacts sensitively to the depression of said movable tongue 12, which can be stimulated by animals of very different weights. Another advantage of this arrangement is that the cause and effect relationship of the triggering of said mechanism 20 is indirect and that its comprehension escapes the perspicacity of the animal to trap.

 The above security member 20d comprises a locking means 28 and its support. Said locking means 28 is located in correspondence with said counterweight 27 of said receiving member 20a in order to collaborate with the latter so that, when said locking means 28 is engaged, said receiving member 20a is immobilized in an inert position, to maintain said armed mechanism.

 The advantage which results from this arrangement resides in that an intervention on the device of the invention can be carried out during its implementation while preventing the risk for the handler of an undesirable triggering of said mechanism 20.

 According to an advantageous characteristic of the machine of the invention, the aforementioned elements 30a, 30b and 30c constituting said enclosure 30 are dimensioned such that their height does not exode the height of said body 10 and such that each of their lengths does not not exodus the length of the same body 10, so that, said elements 30a, 30b and 30c being articulated with each other and with said body 10, the size of the machine of the invention is reduced, when the latter is unused , by successive folding of said elements 30a, 30b and 30c against said body 10. Such an arrangement is reinforced, When said mechanism 20 is kept armed in the safety position, and when said members 20a, 2Db, 20c and 20d are embedded in said body 10.

 According to another advantageous characteristic of the machine of the invention, the above-mentioned body 10 is pierced right through with a passive orifice 13, identical when its shape to said active orifice 11. Thus, said passive orifice 13 gives, also, from the outside of said machine of the invention, entered inside said enclosure 30, through said body 10. However, the same passive orifice 13 is in no way connected with said mechanism 20 intended to kill the animal to trap. Also, the trapped animal can sneak into said passive orifice 13 to gain, safe and sound, the interior of said enclosure 30. However, any distrust extinguished, the same trapped animal may be tempted to return to the exterior of said enclosure 30 this time using said active orifice 11, said mechanism 20 being triggered on the return of the animal as it would have been on the outward journey. In the case where the same trapped animal returns to the outside of said enclosure 30 while still using said passive orifice 13, it acquires the certainty that the device of the invention is harmless. The animal will inevitably return as soon as a new bait A has been deposited in said enclosure 30 to attract it. His curiosity Pushing him and his mistrust being extinguished, the animal to be trapped will sooner or later take the active orifice 11 which will be fatal to him, without his death constituting an edifying example for his fellows as to the mortal danger that represents for them the device of the invention.

We understand that the device used to attract and kill rodent mammals, which has just been described and represented above,
Was for the purpose of disclosure rather than limitation. Of course, various arrangements, modifications and improvements could be made to the above example, without going beyond the ambit of the invention taken in its aspects and in its spirit most
Wide.

 In order to allow a better understanding of the drawing, a list of references with their legends is listed below.

10 Body of the Apparatus of the Invention,
10a, 10b, 10c, 10d ........... Faces of the body 10,
11 Active port,
12 ....................... Movable tongue,
13 Passive port,
20 Mechanism of the
the invention,
20a, 20b, 20c, 20d ............ Organs of mechanism 20,
21 Stirrup of the operating member 20c, 21a, 21b ...................... Branches of the stirrup 21,
22 Organ coil spring
operator 20c,
23 Hook of the
transmission 20b,
24 Organ link
transmission 20b, 25 Body expansion lever
receptor 20a, 26 Trigger of the receiving organ
ZOa, 27 Counterweight of the receiving organ
20a, 28 Means for blocking the
security 20d, 30 Enclosure
The invention, 30a, 30b, 30c ................. Elements of the enclosure 30, x, x '............. ............ Axle of stirrup 21, y, y '......................... Axis of detent lever 25, Rî Rocking movement before
Caliper 21,
R2 Rear rocking movement of
stirrup 21, a1, a2 ........................ Angular sectors described by
branches 21a and 21b.

r Rocker movement of the lever
trigger 25.

Claims (12)

R E V E N D I C A T I O N S  1. Machine used to attract and kill rodent mammals consisting of a body (10), a mechanism (20) and an enclosure (30), CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT THAT said body (10) carries said mechanism (20) which is intended to kill the animal trap and that the same body (10) is arranged with said enclosure (30) in which is placed a bait (A) so that said mechanism (20) is interposed between L animal to trap on the one hand and the bait (A) intended to attract the latter on the other hand.  2. Machine according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT THAT the aforesaid body (10) is pierced with an active orifice (11) giving entry into the said enclosure (30) so that the animal to be trapped s' engaging in said active orifice (11) to reach the above bait (A) is exposed to the action of the above mechanism (20).  3. Machine according to claims 1 and 2, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT THAT the aforesaid active orifice (11) is partially closed by a movable tongue (12) in connection with the aforementioned mechanism (20), which movable tongue (12) is inserted in the passage of the trapped animal so that said mechanism (20) is triggered by the trapped animal itself.  4. Machine according to claims 1, 2 and 3, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT THAT the aforesaid mechanism (20) results from the combination of a receiving member (20a), a transmission member (20b) and an operating member (20c), arranged between them so that the movement of small amplitude (r) of said receiving member (20a) makes it possible to release the large amplitude movement (R2) of said operating member (20c) by means of said transmission member (2Ob).  5. Machine according to claims 1 and 4, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT THAT the aforesaid operating member (20c) comprises a stirrup (21) whose two branches (21a and 21b) are movable around an axis (x, x ') transverse to the aforesaid body (10) and a coil spring ( 22) longitudinal to said body (10) secured at one of its ends to the same body (10) and at the other of its ends to said stirrup (21) so that said stirrup (21) is brought in a movement of tilt before (R1) to a horizontal position to arm the above mechanism (20), said coil spring (22) is tensioned.  6. Machine according to claims 1, 4 and 5, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT THAT the aforesaid transmission member (2Db) comprises an articulated hook (23) intended to be engaged on the aforesaid stirrup (21) to hold the latter when the above mechanism (20) is armed, and an articulated link (24) which cooperates with said hook (23) so that when the above-mentioned mechanism (20) is triggered, said link (24) is tilted to disengage said hook (23) from the above-mentioned stirrup (21).  7. Machine according to claims 1, 4 and 6 taken as a whole, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT THAT the aforesaid receiving member (20a) comprises an expansion lever (25) movable about an axis (y, y ') transverse to aforesaid body (10), provided at one of its ends with a trigger (26) receiving the thrust of the aforementioned link (24) of the aforesaid transmission member (20c) and at the other of its ends with a counterweight (27) so that when the above-mentioned mechanism (20) is armed, this thrust on said trigger (26) is balanced by said counterweight (27) so as to keep said detent lever (25) in balance in a position inert.  8. Machine according to claims 1, 4, 5, 6 and 7 taken together, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT THAT the aforesaid movable tongue (12) exerting pressure on said trigger lever (25), the latter joined, according to a movement of toggle (r), an active position by Which the aforesaid link (24) escapes from the aforesaid trigger (26) to disengage the aforesaid hook (23), Which in turn releases the aforesaid stirrup (21) which is brought back, under the reaction effect of the aforesaid coil spring (22) and according to the rocking movement (R2), to a substantially vertical position such that the above-mentioned branches (21a and 21b) describe angular sectors (a1 and a2) which each cover, at least in part, The section of the above active orifice (11) so as to knock out on each side of the above body (10) the trapped animal.  9. Machine according to claims 1, 4 and 7, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT THAT the aforesaid mechanism (20) results from the combination of the aforesaid receiver, transmission and operator organs (20a, 2Db and 20c) and a safety organ (20d), which comprises a blocking means (28) located in correspondence with the aforesaid counterweight (27) and collaborating with the latter so that, when said blocking means (28) is engaged, the aforesaid receiving member (20a) is immobilized in an inert position to maintain the mechanism (20 ) armed and to prevent an unwanted trip of the latter.  10. Machine according to claims 1, 4 and 9, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT THAT the aforesaid receiver, transmission, operator and security organs (20a, 20b, 20c and 20d) entering in combination with the above mechanism (20) are arranged on the above body (10), open reservations on the four corresponding faces (70a, 10b, 10c and 10d) of said body (10) so that, when said mechanism (20) is armed, the aforesaid members (20a, 2Db, 20c and 20d) are embedded in said body (10).  11. Machine according to any one of claims 1 to 10, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT THAT the above-mentioned enclosure (30) is made up of elements (30a, 30b and 30c) hinged together and with the above-mentioned body (10), the length and height of said elements (30a, 30b and 30c) n 'not exceeding the length and height of said body (10) so that, when the machine of the invention is unused, the above mechanism (20) being kept armed in the safety position so that the above organs receiver, transmission, operator and security C20a, 2Db, 2Dc and 20d) are embedded in said body (10), the size of the latter is reduced, by successive folding of said elements (30a, 30b and 30c) against the same body (10).  12. Machine according to any one of claims 1 to 11, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT THAT the above-mentioned body (10) is pierced with a passive orifice (13) giving entry into the above-mentioned enclosure (30) without No link with the above mechanism (20) so that a trapped animal can, safe and sound, reach the interior of said enclosure (30) and / or can come out of the same enclosure (30) so as to abuse L the animal itself and / or its congeners on the true character of the machine of the invention.